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Weed Control. Reclaimed areas and mine related disturbances, such as roadsides <br />and facilities, are monitored for noxious weed infestations. Monitoring is <br />conducted through the formal revegetation monitoring program or as qualitative <br />observations by PSCM reclamation personnel. If noxious weed infestations occur at <br />levels that may interfere with successful reclamation or are detrimental to reclaimed <br />land quality, weed control is implemented. Application of herbicides has been <br />carried out through two primary agents, outside services or PSCM Reclamation <br />Department personnel. <br />Grazing. Livestock grazing has been conducted on PSCM (former Seneca II mine) <br />reclaimed lands since 1987. The grazing season has historically been from mid July to <br />mid-September. Livestock grazing has been conducted annually and livestock numbers <br />have increased as more reclaimed acres became available and the vegetation communities <br />continued to mature. Stocking rates have been developed from ongoing vegetation <br />monitoring data and a proper use goal of 50% forage utilization has been a basis of <br />management. Annual precipitation and the effects on current year's production are <br />factored into annual management. Grazing on the areas covered under this bond release <br />application is conducted as part of an overall grazing management program that includes <br />all PSCM reclaimed lands and the smaller adjacent Seneca II Mine reclaimed lands. <br />Results of grazing are presented in the Seneca II and PSCM Annual Reclamation Reports <br />for each year since 1988. <br />Bond Release Background Information <br />In 2006, the original Seneca II Mine was divided into five (5) bond release blocks (BRB 1, 2, 3, 4 <br />and 5) to aid in vegetation data collection and analysis for Phase II and Phase III bond release. <br />In 2012 with approval of the PSCM permit, approximately 3,012 acres of the original Seneca II <br />permit area were transferred to PSCM and this area contained much of the reclaimed lands in the <br />Seneca II Mine BRB areas. Only a small portion of lands (386.5 acres) remain within the Seneca <br />II Mine permit (see PR -02 for the Seneca II Mine approved on January 19, 2014). This Phase III <br />bond release application includes the BRB-4 areas which were revegetated from 1978 through <br />2005. The BRB-4 area (under former Seneca II mine) is now referred to as BRB PSCM-2 since <br />